City Never Sleeps
by rhead-a-holyc
Summary: Draco is wandering, lost due to a mistake. Dramione. One shot. Challenge fic.


**_Disclaimer:_**** I do not own Harry Potter**

**Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft and Wizardry Challenge [Potions] – nature; fact; story; thing; safety; language**

**The A-Maze-Ing Race Challenge – whiteboard**

**Scrabble Challenge – City Never Sleeps by Jason Walker**

**_City Never Sleeps_**

He was not sure where he was going even as he wandered through the streets. He did not even bother to know which street he was on, he could not find it within himself to care at this particular moment. He was lost and he knew it, and not just physically that would be easier to find his way out of.

He should have known. It was his nature that was a well-known fact and an instinct he naturally turned to whenever he felt lost. That instinct had been instilled in him by the harsh pureblood society that hid under deceptively beautiful masks.

He could hardly believe he had even, for a second, believed the idea that had been planted by one of the Ravenclaws he had passed in the corridors. Hermione was a Gryffindor after all, despite their lack of forethought when heading into danger their beliefs and _knowing Hermione_ should have erased every single thought he had of her ever cheating on him.

He remembered the hurt expression on Hermione's face as he spoke harsh words, all of them aimed at hurting her and each one cutting into her until the only thing left of her attempted protection were her fragile tears. Hermione had _tried_ to tell him otherwise, to explain that she _hadn't_ but he had cut her off at every turn until even the headstrong Gryffindor had given up and opted to remain silent.

He felt the first signs of rain, reminding him of the tears that had fallen down Hermione's cheeks. He could remember her turning around and walking away quickly, he remembered the heated glares that both Weasley and Potter had rightfully sent him. He regretted it deeply. They had only accepted him because they had seen how happy Hermione had been with him.

He had obviously left the safety of the Gryffindors and the truce they had temporarily set up for Hermione. He had been targeted after that, prank after prank and even the Slytherins had not bothered to help him. He had been so stupid, even the rest of his housemates had known that Hermione would never do that yet he had still stubbornly continued to believe, not bothering to look for proof as he should have.

The sudden flash of lightning, clearing my vision completely and clearing some of the tumbling thoughts as well as the entire area was lit up for a moment. He recognized this place, Hermione had brought him here a year ago.

He stood on the street where Hermione lived and his mind suddenly seemed to work in a different language, a language he could not understand. It was like staring at the whiteboard Hermione had in her room filled with all those strange symbols that Hermione had offhandedly told him were symbols for a type of muggle Arithmacy and Potions. They looked incredibly complicated which was incredibly similar to the feelings that he could understand.

His feet moved without his consent and he soon found himself standing on the other side of the door he had once been welcomed through eagerly, one he now feared because of a story he had not bothered to hear.

The door opened suddenly after a quick rustle of the curtains of the window that rested next to the door.

"You're soaked, you'll get-Draco?"

He could only stand there, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot.

"Come in, goodness child, you'll catch the flu," Hermione's mother bustled him inside and shut the door firmly after he walked in.

"Mum, who was-"Hermione stopped as she took in the sight of a drenched Draco before she put the dish she was holding on the nearest counter and stalked up the stairs.

"Have you two had a fight?" Mrs. Granger looked curiously at Draco as she handed him a towel from a nearby cupboard. He took the towel from her gratefully.

"It was a misunderstanding of sorts," he murmured as he looked in the direction of the stairs.

"Ah," Mrs. Granger looked at him understandingly, "she'll come around."

Perhaps that had given him hope even as he could only stare at the staircase, unable to move a step closer to the staircase. A step closer to Hermione.


End file.
